Do we really need Anti-oxidants?

We need Anti-oxidents to control the production of free radicals in our bodies. But what are free radicals?

 Free radicals are simply molecules with one or more unpaired electrons. Electrons like to be in pairs, so unpaired electrons can result in unstable and highly reactive molecules. To become stable, the free radical must steal an electron from another molecule (or give one away). When a molecule loses an electron, that molecule has been oxidised and itself becomes a free radical.

This new free radical can steal an electron from another molecule, starting a chain reaction. This process permanently changes the structure of the molecules, causing irreversible damage.

But if an antioxidant is present, it can donate an electron to the free radical, stabilising it and stopping the chain reaction. The antioxidant sacrifices itself and is oxidised instead of the other molecule, becoming a free radical. But unlike most molecules, the antioxidant is able to stabilise the unpaired electron and does not become highly reactive. This process deactivates the antioxidant.

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